1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to triterpene compounds which can improve brain functions, in particular to a novel use of the triterpene compounds represented by the Formula 1 for improving decreased memory and a pharmaceutical composition for improving brain functions comprising the triterpene compounds represented by the Formula 1.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the percentage of elderly people in population increases over the world, various degenerative senile diseases and disorders have been drawing much of public attention by causing great loss both in social and economic points of view. According to recent results of statistical researches reported by the American Dementia Association and the National Aging Research Institute, four million Americans are suffering from dementia, which is generally developed after the age of sixty and sometimes developed even in fifties. 10.3% of Americans aged 65 years or higher are diagnosed as having dementia and the annual expense for treating dementia in USA amounts to ninety five billion US dollars.
According to the recent reports released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the number of people having dementia is on rapid increase in Korea according to the increase in the number of aged people. For example, the incidence of dementia was 8.3% for a group of people aged 65 or higher in 1995, and it is expected to reach 9% in 2020. In addition, when applying the dementia incidence to the future estimated population reported by the Korea National Statistical Office, the number of elderly people with dementia was two hundred and seventy-seven thousand and forty eight in 2000 (accounting for 8.3% of people aged 65 years or higher), and is presumed to reach five hundred and twenty-seven thousand and sixty eight in 2015 (9%), six hundred and nineteen thousand one hundred and thirty-two in 2020 (9%). Dementia is a disease known very hard to cure and causes to devastate the life of its patient as well as to disrupt a life of his/her family, thereby leading to serious social and economical problems.
Moreover, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a pre-stage of dementia is characterized by a less cognitive function such as memory, perception and learning than normal aged people, being not consistent with the clinical standards of dementia. Recent clinical studies have shown that patients with mild cognitive impairment are very susceptible to development of dementia. Patients diagnosed as having mild cognitive impairment are often linked to development of dementia in a ratio of 10-15% as compared to a normal control group which is in a ratio of 1-2%. Therefore, for preventing and treating dementia, it is very important that patients with mild cognitive impairment considered as a susceptible group to dementia be treated at its early stage.
While the pathology of dementia is diverse, its principle cause is known to be Alzheimer's disease the characteristics of which include accumulation of the beta-amyloid protein in brain cells and remarkable decrease in learning and memory capabilities.
As a drug for treating Alzheimer's disease, the FDA-approved drug tacrine, which has been commercially available since 1993, inhibits degradation of acetylcholine generated in brain of Alzheimer's patients at its early and middle stages to delay the loss of cognitive function in about 30% of patients. However, the drug elicits adverse effects associated with liver so that its administration rarely performs. Aricept approved by US FDA in 1996 exhibits its effect by increasing the availability of acetylcholine and its administration may be performed once a day before retirement, showing the adverse effects such as nausea, diarrhea and fatigue that are not severe and likely to disappear soon. However, both tacrine and aricept cannot treat Alzheimer's disease completely and their administration period and effective duration are not obvious.
Therefore, there is an urgent need in the art to develop a novel agent for improving brain functions to prevent and treat mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
The present inventors have made extensive researches to develop a pharmaceutical composition effective in improvement of memory with little adverse effects to improve brain functions such as the prevention and treatment of mild cognitive impairment and dementia and as a result, discovered that existing triterpene compounds are effective in the improvement of memory failure.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a pharmaceutical composition for improving brain functions, which comprises as an active ingredient a triterpene compound represented by the Formula 1.
It is another object of this invention to provide an agent for improving brain functions, which comprises as an active ingredient a triterpene compound represented by the Formula 1.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an agent for preventing and treating mild cognitive impairment and dementia, which comprises as an active ingredient a triterpene compound represented by the Formula 1.
It is further object of this invention to provide an agent for preventing and treating dementia, which comprises as an active ingredient a triterpene compound represented by the Formula 1.
It is still further object of this invention to provide a health food for improving brain functions, which comprises as an active ingredient a triterpene compound represented by the Formula 1.